Worst Diets for Health 2019

Are you looking for a diet for good health?  A couple of weeks ago we talked about “eating healthy” and reviewed 3 diets that promote good health, the Mediterranean Diet, the  DASH Diet, and the Flexitarian Diet.  Last week we talked about the highest rated weight loss diets including:  Weight Watchers, the Volumetrics Diet and Jenny Craig.  Whether you want to eat healthy or lose some weight there are healthy ways to do so.  Unfortunately, some people choose diets that are actually bad for their health.  Why?  Maybe they are looking for a quick weight loss fix.  Maybe they are duped into thinking a diet is healthy when it is actually bad for their health.  Whether at the gym or at work you will hear people talking about being on a low-carb diet, or on the Whole30 diet, or some latest fad diet.  These may be fads but also can be quite unhealthy diets.  When the US News & World Report ranks the Best Diets for health, they have diets that fall at the bottom of their rankings.  What diets are ranked the lowest and why?  Let’s review some of the 2019 ranked not so good for you diets and provide you with some pros and cons of these diets.  

Whole30 Diet

This diet is popular once again.  Even though it was created in 2009, many people are currently trying the Whole30 approach.  Whole30 claims it will “change your life”.  How?  Their website claims that by eliminating certain foods from your diet, the “gut-damaging, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days, you can take away your aches and pains, lose weight, fix digestive ailments, seasonal allergies, and chronic pain.  

What foods do you eliminate on this diet?

This diet claims that certain food including sugar, grains, dairy and legumes are the foods that negatively impact your health.

What foods does the Whole30 diet eliminate for 30 days?

• No added sugar whether real or artificial.  Forget the maple syrup on your pancakes, the sweetener for your ice tea, the Diet Coke. Not even sugar less gum is allowed.
• No alcohol – no wine, beer or mixed drinks for you.
• No grains – so no bread, no cereal, no toast, no bagels, no quinoa, no crackers
• No legumes/beans – this means no peanut butter, no kidney beans, baked beans, peas.  Forget the soy sauce – banned.
• No Dairy – no milk, yogurt, sour cream, no ice cream no cheese.  No cheese pizza for you.

What foods are permitted on this diet?

• Protein foods = meat, seafood
• Vegetables and some fruit
• Herbs, spices and seasonings

The diet focuses on whole and unprocessed foods so you will be eating your meals at home. 

You don’t have to count calories.  Exercise is not a part of this diet plan but they do endorse moving more.  To the founders it is diet not exercise that promotes good health  Thus, this diet is not really a lifestyle change approach to good health.

What ranking does US News & World Report give the Whole30 diet?  The experts looked at 41 diets and ranked the Whole30 diet once again as 37^th.    Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, has also evaluated the Whole30 diet on her “Smart Nutrition” website. 

1. The Whole30 diet is very restrictive.  Eating out at restaurants, eating out at other people’s homes would be quite difficult on this diet.
2. Many healthy foods are eliminated:  Any diet that eliminates food groups like dairy and grains, also eliminates the nutrients that those food groups provide.  Whole grains are foods we want to add to our diet for fiber and many trace minerals.  Dairy provides much needed calcium and vitamin D to our day.  So many Americans are deficient in vitamin D that the last thing they should do is cut more vitamin D out of their diets. Beans, peanut butter, nuts are very healthy and we should be adding more of these to our diets, not cutting back on them or eliminating them for 30 days.
3. Time-consuming – you will need to shop and prepare a lot of meals at home as the diet plan is quite restrictive.
4. It is not a lifestyle change – it is not a plan that helps you learn how to eat healthier and exercise such as walks are mentioned but the change in diet is their key to good health.
5. US News & World Report noted “Whole30 lacks scientific support and is severely restrictive, according to the experts.  Its short-term approach and long-term promises didn’t win over the panelists.”  

What are the pros of this diet plan?

1. The diet does emphasize minimally processed food. 
2. The diet promotes eating more fish and more vegetables.

What other diets are ranked low on the Best Diets list?

Atkins Diet is ranked number 39 out of 41 diets for healthy eating, almost dead last.  Yet, people still go on the “Atkins Diet” to lose weight.  Why go on a diet ranked so low?    US News & World Report  states: “is not a good all-purpose diet, experts said.”  US News & World Report noted a meta-analysis study that indicated low-carb diets like the Atkins diet may increase the bad or LDL cholesterol which is a risk factor for heart disease.  

Body Reset Diet ranked #36, just above the poorly ranked Whole30 Diet.  US News & World Report calls this diet a “gimmick” and an “unhealthy” diet for weight loss.

Crunchy and healthy snack on Body Reset

Keto Diet – ranked 41, dead last.  This diet is high-fat and low in carbs.  Among the health risks for this diet according to the US News & World Report is the diet can lead to muscle loss.  Odd since many people on this diet are hoping to lose fat, not muscle.  It is also a diet not recommended for pregnant women, women who are nursing, or those with heart disease until they consult their doctor.  

So, if you are looking to eat better for good health in 2019, there are many good diet plans to choose from.  There are also a number of fad diets one should avoid.  As I noted a couple of weeks ago, healthy eating doesn’t mean giving up all the foods you like to eat, but adding some foods that promote good health like more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, and more low-fat dairy to your day.

Sources:  US News & World Report,  DASH Diet, Mediterranean Diet,  Flexitarian Diet , Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH, Whole30, Smart Nutrition  Image source:  Whole30,  Keto Diet, Body Reset Diet